The present invention relates to inflated containers, e.g., inflated packaging cushions, and, more particularly, to a simplified and improved machine for producing the same.
Various machines for forming inflated cushions, pillows, or other inflated containers are known. For packaging applications, inflated cushions are used to package items, by wrapping the items in the cushions and placing the wrapped items in a shipping carton, or simply placing one or more inflated cushions inside of a shipping carton along with an item to be shipped. The cushions protect the packaged item by absorbing impacts that may otherwise be fully transmitted to the packaged item during transit, and also restrict movement of the packaged item within the carton to further reduce the likelihood of damage to the item.
Earlier machines for forming inflated cushions tended to be rather large, expensive, and complex. More recently, smaller, less-expensive inflation machines have been developed, which employ inflatable webs having pre-formed containers. Many such machines, however, suffer from alignment and tracking problems of the inflatable web as it moves through the machine, resulting in poorly-inflated, non-inflated, and/or poorly-sealed cushions, which lead to web wastage and/or cushions that deflate prematurely or otherwise fail to protect the packaged product. Also, such machines have less-than-optimal web-loading, web-feeding, and web-sealing mechanisms. With respect to the latter, web movement and wrinkling often cause poor or incomplete heat-seals to be formed, which typically results in deflation of the cushions. In addition, portions of the inflated web often become trapped in the sealing mechanism, which causes the web to wrap around and clog the sealing mechanism, necessitating a shut-down of the machine so that the clog can be removed, resulting in a waste of both time and material. Finally, in many cases, the operation of the machines are routinely paused, e.g., stopped by the operator and then re-started. Unfortunately, this action has been found to frequently result in inconsistent inflation (over-inflation, under-inflation, or non-inflation) of at least one cushion, which can lead to product damage during shipment and/or storage due to ineffective product protection in the subsequently-formed package.
Accordingly, there remains a need in the art for simple and reliable machines for producing gas-filled containers that are suitable for use as packaging cushions, which address and overcome one or more of the foregoing operational issues.